Despite over 100 lex Sarah incident reports and promises of improvements, problems persist at the municipal nursing home Vilhelmsrogården in Jönköping. Now a relative is raising the alarm about pensioners being left alone, poor Swedish among the staff, unanswered emergency alarms, and elderly residents who may have to wait two weeks to shower.

In February, Jönköpings-Posten revealed that the nursing home Vilhelmsrogården at Strandängen in Jönköping had received over 100 lex Sarah reports within two years.

After the attention, the municipality decided to take several measures, including increased staffing and salary raises of 3,000 kronor per month to retain staff.

But according to Britt-Marie Molin, whose father Yngve moved into the facility in autumn 2025, the situation has instead worsened. She visits her father almost daily and describes an operation where staff shortages affect even the most basic needs of the elderly.

Two Weeks Between Showers

Britt-Marie tells Jönköpings-Posten that her father sometimes waits in vain when he presses the emergency alarm. The staff reportedly don’t have time to take him for walks, and according to his daughter, there may be up to two weeks between opportunities to shower.

She also states that several employees speak insufficient Swedish, making communication with residents more difficult. For Yngve, who is hard of hearing, this creates even more challenges.

– It’s difficult because I have hearing problems. Living here isn’t what I had hoped for, Yngve tells the newspaper.

The daughter also explains that her father once fell without her being informed. He spends much of his days alone in his room, with only the radio for company.

According to Britt-Marie, management previously promised that the facility would be staffed with trained personnel. Instead, she claims that several experienced workers have resigned due to the workload and have been replaced by inexperienced employees.

She also maintains that the teams, which are meant to consist of three people, often have only two staff members. However, claims that managers threatened to revoke salary increases if the staffing levels increased are denied by area manager Jenny Wiberg Larsson, who describes this as a misunderstanding.

Britt-Marie feels that the responsibility for the problems lies mainly with the management and the municipality, rather than on the overwhelmed staff.

“I have cried many times”

The situation has become a constant source of anxiety for Britt-Marie, who has considered moving her father to another nursing home on several occasions. But Yngve himself reportedly doesn’t have the energy to move again.

– It’s terrible, and you are always worried. I have cried many times after my visits here. The facility is just a shell where everything is supposed to look as nice as possible. But elderly people don’t care about that; they need care and companionship.

According to Britt-Marie, another relative has already chosen to move her mother from Vilhelmsrogården because the problems have not improved.